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The blockbuster$5 billion dealbetween Volkswagen Group and Rivian is just days former . But it turns out , VW Group was tapdance into Rivian ’s computer software expertness month before the partnership was declare .
VW Group’sstruggling software armCariad has engage at least 23 of the startup ’s top employees over the past several months , a TechCrunch followup of LinkedIn data disclose . Cariad ’s chief software officer , master product security system officer , two of its vice chairwoman and two principal engineers have all been hired from Rivian . well-nigh all of the other hire came from senior software roles at Rivian , many of them this twelvemonth .
The hire pre - date any heap between VW and Rivian . The joint venture , which would allow the German hulk to leverage Rivian ’s package and electrical computer architecture chop , is still being form . The JV is n’t expected to be formalized until the fourth quarter — a detail that VW and Rivian spokespeople point out .
Still , the wave of new hire illustrates VW ’s — and , more specifically , Cariad ’s — desire to tapdance software gift . And those early hires could raise fruitful as the joint venture comes together .
The hire have bolster Cariad ’s effort to work up up a Silicon Valley outstation in Mountain View called the SDV Hub — an acronym that give a nod to the so - calledsoftware - specify vehiclethat every automaker is tail . The SDV hub is ground zero for Cariad ’s next - generation software program architecture know as “ software package 2.0 . ”
In fall 2023 , Cariad hired Sanjay Lal , who most recently led the exploitation of Rivian ’s infotainment and next - gen middleware across the vehicle and swarm , to head the institution of the SDV hub . The focus of the engineers at the SDV hub in California — as well as some German - found workers under Lal — is on the computer software 2.0 architecture that is supposed to be an operating system designed for all VW Group mark .
The hub ’s stress suggests those same employee could be part of the eventual VW - Rivian joint venture . It should be note that both Rivian and VW spokespeople say that conjecture was premature .
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“ We are initially focusing together on the smooth get-go - up of our joint venture with Rivian , and will comment on everything else at a later time , ” an emailed statement from VW read .
While Cariad has more than 7,000 employee worldwide , its footprint in North America is much smaller . The SDV hub presently has around 230 employee , according to LinkedIn . That means recent Rivian expats now make up around 10 % of Cariad ’s employee base in the region .
These hire come as Cariad is in the center of restructuring after days of battle . create in 2020 , Cariad was supposed to speed up development of advanced software system and electrical architecture for Volkswagen Group ’s adult push into EVs . As Cariad grew in size , its problem compounded . Its software 1.2 program , which was being uprise for Audi and Porsche car , was originally scheduled for mop up in 2022 . The constant delays and other interior problem go to several executive shakeups and is regard one of the reasonsVW Group CEO Herbert Diesswas dismissed in 2022 .
Cariad , now under the counseling of Peter Bosch , has successfully completed the 1.2 software architecture that will be in the upcoming Porsche Macan EV . But it ’s the 2.0 architecture that is stand for to sling all of the group ’s brand in the same celestial sphere as Tesla .
Tapping talent from the likes of Rivian bucks how Cariad was make out its North American men over the last two years . Prior to the last few month , most Cariad employees in the region came from other space inside the Volkswagen Group , from self-propelled or software system suppliers . Far fewer came from technical school party , like Cariad ’s director of software engineering , who expend almost a decade at Google .
VW and Cariad are not the only unity search to startups like Rivian to build up out talent . Ford ’s ownsecretive low - cost EV project has been snap up workersfrom Rivian , Tesla , Lucid Motors and even Apple ’s disband Project Titan , as TechCrunch first cover sooner this calendar month .
